Amid sudden influx of Coronavirus patients in various hospitals across India, disposal of COVID bio-medical waste is becoming a major challenge. From Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs), testing kits, gloves, masks, bags, goggles used by medical staff to waste from treatment of quarantined patients, the hospitals have been claiming to make all-out effort to dispose off the waste generated.Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak, environmental activists have been demanding full compliance of Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, besides other measures to minimise the impact on environment.
Taking note of this demand, the National Green Tribunal has directed a team, comprising the Centre and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to supervise handling and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste in accordance with the guidelines.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued guidelines for the management of waste generated during the diagnostics and treatment of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
While state governments and Centre have initiated various steps to deal with the pandemic, the apex pollution monitoring body said specific guidelines are required to be followed by all, including isolation wards, quarantine centers, sample collection centers, laboratories, ULBs and common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facilities, in addition to existing practices under BMW Management Rules, 2016.
The tribunal said that while the Bio Medical Waste Rules deal with waste generated in dealing with infectious diseases, the coronavirus pandemic has presented further challenge in terms of capacity to scientifically dispose of generated waste.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Chief Secretary of States and Union Territories to closely monitor the scientific storage, transport, handling, management and disposal of COVID-19 waste as its improper handling poses a grave threat rob environment and health of people.
“At the national level, let a high level task team of Ministry of Environment, Health, Urban Development, Jal Shakti, Defence and CPCB supervise the handling and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste in accordance with the guidelines,” the bench said.
It also directed the state Departments of Environment and pollution control boards to ensure compliance of Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and furnish action take report to CPCB. “Let CPCB take further steps and furnish a consolidated report to the NGT of the steps taken and the ground status as on May 3, 2020. The report may be furnished by June 15,” it said.
The NGT further said that COVID 19 pandemic has affected number of people across the world and more than one and a half lakh people have died world over.
Disposal of COVID-19 waste in general bins so as to be part of municipal waste or unscientific handling sewage and other liquid waste without safeguards can also be hazardous, the tribunal said.
“There is a need to incorporate best practices in the light of further experience and new thoughts emerging from time to time, apart from continued supervision and monitoring, compiling data in an online format, use of electronic/digital manifest system to track and log COVID-19 waste, “ it said.
There is also need for creating awareness about the precautions and steps to be taken by all handlers and workers as well as citizens, the tribunal added.
